Episode Summary: In todays episode MSSN Founder Caroline Howe is joined by MSSN Career Transition Experts Vicki Simpson and Corey Williams who will take us through ways to rebuild yourself and take control of your life.

Guests: MSSN members & Staff

Host: Abe

We need to rethink what the journey from “normal” to “injured” is and what it means to “recover” for someone with an injury. There is such a sense of loss experienced after a long-term injury. People lose their routine, their friends, their families, their hobbies, confidence and more. They then get told that they are injured and can be kept in that mindset for as long as they are in the scheme.

So how do we help people move beyond identifying as someone with an injury to get that sense of control and choice back?

We need as a collective to start appreciating the complexity of what “recovering after injury” means and put a great deal more effort into understanding the journey from a person with an injuries point of view.

When we made the first Transition to Work podcast, I felt helpless hearing how people looked at return to work. It was as if they were looking at a wall of fear that they didn’t know how to overcome and so the MSSN podcast team (made up of people with injuries), decided that they wanted a road map on how to look beyond the injury and get back to work.

Episode 6 was created to discuss how to move beyond identifying as injured and regain a sense of independence, feeling normal again and top tips for stakeholders.

In the episode we talk to Corey and Vicki (part of the MSSN team) and are joined as always by the people with injuries who are members and the drivers of the MSSN podcast.

Here are the top tips from the MSSN team to share with anyone with an injury to get their life back:

1.Shift Your Mindset
Acknowledge Progress: Recognise any progress you’ve made in your recovery journey. Celebrate small victories, even if they seem minor. – If you get knocked down you have to get up and dust yourself off

Focus on Abilities: Instead of dwelling on limitations, concentrate on what you can still do. Embrace your abilities and strengths.

Focus on Moving Forward: give yourself permission to take back control.

2.Reframe Your Self-Image:
Avoid Victim Mentality: Refrain from seeing yourself solely as an injured person. You are multifaceted, and your injury is just one aspect of your life.
Visualise Beyond Injury: Imagine yourself engaged in activities you love, without the constraints of injury. Visualization can be powerful in reshaping self-perception.

Don’t let your injury rule your life: the injury is 15% of what goes on and the rest is a mental battle. You are not your injury.

3.Set Realistic Goals:
Gradual Progress: Set achievable goals that align with your recovery process. Break them down into smaller steps.

Focus on Functionality: Rather than aiming for perfection, prioritize functionality. What can you do today that you couldn’t do yesterday?

4.Seek Professional Support:
Counselling or Therapy: Consider talking to a counsellor or therapist. They can guide you through emotional challenges related to your injury.

Peer Support Groups: Connecting with others who’ve experienced similar injuries can provide valuable insights and encouragement.

5.Engage in Activities:
Stay Active: Participate in activities that don’t exacerbate your injury but keep you engaged. Physical activity can boost mood and self-esteem.
Explore New Interests: Use this time to explore hobbies or interests you’ve always wanted to pursue.

6.Educate Yourself:
Learn About Your Injury: Understand your injury, treatment options, and recovery process. Knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions.

Stay Updated: Keep up with advancements in medical science and rehabilitation techniques.

7.Practice Self-Compassion:
Be Kind to Yourself: Accept that setbacks happen. Treat yourself with compassion, just as you would a friend facing similar challenges.

Remember that healing is a multifaceted process, and it’s okay to take your time. Surround yourself with supportive people and focus on rebuilding your life beyond the injury.

For the claims managers, the insurers, the return-to-work coordinators, employers – LISTEN UP!

1. Recovery is not linear.
2. Recovery is personal. Do not assume to know the complexity of the person’s journey. See to understand. Ask questions to understand.
3. Recovery should not have to happen alone. Work with the person with the injury to help them maintain and create connections of support both during and then after an injury claim.
4. There is no psychosocial. There is Psychological and there is Social.
5. Work on helping people feel “socially safe” in their recovery to get better physical and mental health outcomes.
6. Consider the fear that someone with a long-term injury experience when they have been isolated from the workplace for a period of time and the fear of embarrassment and failure.
7. Stop saying “injured worker”. They are workers who had an injury.
8. Your job is critical to supporting healthy recovery.
9. Ask for help if you feel you need it too.

please get in touch with me at caroline@mssn.com.au and please LISTEN NOW